Behind The Mask
by MagicalNinja
Summary: Ever wonder why Robin always wears his mask? Beast Boy did... And when he and the others try to do something about it, they learn the truth.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.  
**

* * *

Why did he always wear it? All the time, everyday, he always has his mask on. What was he hiding from them? Didn't he trust them?  
Those thoughts would ring through Beast Boy's head everyday.

Beast Boy was determined to find out why, and he knew that if he somehow snatched the mask away, Robin would 'spill the beans.' Of course, he would need the help of his other teammates to outwit their leader.

First, Cyborg. He would be pretty easy, because they were best friends. All Cy would need was a little persuasion... Besides, Cyborg liked doing this kinda thing, so it wouldn't be hard to convince him or anything.

As for Starfire, he just decided that it would be better to NOT tell her. Since Starfire was Robin's girlfriend, he knew that she wouldn't approve of doing this without Robin's consent. Besides, Starfire usually buckled under pressure, so she wasn't his first choice.

And Raven? He's just have to ask. If she said no, he'd beg. But he didn't think she'd say no. She would just do it, or she wouldn't. That was just the way she was. Besides, she was his girlfriend. How could she say no?

So, he woke up extra early, and had awaken Raven and Cyborg as well. They sat on the couch in the Common Room, arms crossed and scowling.  
Beast Boy stood in front of them, grinning.

"Okay, guys. I have an excellent idea! So you know how Robin is ALWAYS wearing his stupid mask, right?" He asked, and they nodded.  
"Well, I was thinking about it the other day. Why does he wear it? Then, I got an awesome idea-"  
"Does this story have a point?" Raven interrupted, and Beast Boy glared at her.  
"Yes. I was literally just getting to it. ANYWAY, I got an awesome idea! How about we snatch it? Obviously he doesn't sleep with it on." Beast Boy said.

Cyborg bit his lip, and cast a worried look towards their leaders room, "I dunno, bro. I mean, won't he freak out?"  
Beast Boy shrugged. "If he does, what's he gonna do about it? We can just bribe him freedom for the mask." He said, grinning.  
A smile slowly crept upon Cyborg's face.  
"I'm in!" He declared, and Beast Boy shushed him before looking at Raven.

"Well? You in?" He asked eagerly, looking at her, grinning. She studied him for a moment, eyes squinted slightly.  
"I guess so." She replied quietly, looking away. Beast Boy grinned, and fist-bumped the air silently.  
"It has to begin immediately. As in, right now." Beast Boy informed him. The two, who were no longer tired, nodded.

The plan was simple, really. Anyone could have thought of it.  
Raven was to stand guard in front of Starfire's room, to make sure she didn't wake up, and if she did, to distract her.  
Cyborg was going to be a lookout, standing in the Kitchen, where he had a perfect view of both Raven and Beast Boy.  
Beast Boy was to sneak into Robin's room, grab the mask, and run for dear life.  
It sounded flawless to him, though Raven and Cyborg could practically see the faults in his plan.

Giving Cyborg one last thumbs-up, Beast Boy entered his leaders extremely clean room, besides some papers scattered on a table, or darts in the walls. Beast Boy tip-toed through the room, beyond grateful that Robin didn't have a large living-space, and avoiding stepping on anything.  
Robin rolled over, moaning in his sleep, and Beast Boy's heart began to race wildly and loudly.  
Trying not to burst, he tip-toed to Robin's nightstand, where sure enough, his mask was lying there, neatly folded up.

He grasped it, and looked at the door, which seemed much farther away. Realization hit him, and he mentally slapped himself.  
He turned to a mouse, the mask in his mouth, and crawled around the bed, and out of the room quickly. He morphed back into himself, and waved it in the air, for Cyborg to observe

Cyborg nodded in excitement and relief, grinning. Beast Boy quickly ran to the kitchen, where Raven had just entered.  
"Cyborg 'motioned' me." She explained, and Beast Boy nodded.  
Beast Boy placed the mask on the table, and the three studied it, unsure of what to do.

* * *

After a few hours of examining it, Beast Boy sighed in frustration.  
"It doesn't make any sense! There isn't anything special about this mask!" He said, and threw his head back in defeat.  
"So... What do we do when he wakes up and finds that his mask is gone?" Cyborg asked quietly.  
They heard a cough, and turned around to see Starfire and Robin, Robin was covering his eyes with his hand.  
"Oh! Hey, Robin! What's up?" Beast Boy asked nervously.

Robin scowled, or at least, they thought he did, and held out his other hand. "Hand it over." He ordered, and Beast Boy hid it behind him, scowling.  
"No way, man! Why do you have to wear this stupid mask anyway?" Beast Boy asked.  
"It is not any of our concern!" Starfire said, frowning at Beast Boy.

"You're only saying that because you're his girlfriend! Cyborg and Raven wanted to know too!" Beast Boy said.  
Robin sighed, and put his outstretched out down.  
"Listen, Beast Boy. I don't go poking around in your personal life." He said, and Beast Boy laughed.  
"You're right! You just breathe down our necks!" He said, and Raven put her hand on his shoulder.  
He calmed down a bit at her touch, but continued to scowl.

"Please, Beast Boy. Just give it back." Robin said, pleadingly.  
"Only if you tell me why!" Beast Boy said, crossing his arms. Robin sighed, in defeat.  
"Fine. I wear this mask because... It shows you guys as you really are." He said, and Beast Boy looked puzzled.  
"What?" Beast Boy asked.  
"I'm serious! This mask shows me what you all really are. Perfect, your actual selves! Not the people you pretend to be." Robin explained softly.

"But what does that mean?" Cyborg asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"It mean that... You may all see Beast Boy as the teams prankster... But me, because of the mask, see him as what he really is. I see all of you the way I need to see you. I- I don't want to see you guys any other way." Robin said.  
Raven glanced at Beast Boy, and nodded.  
Slowly, Beast Boy put the mask in Robin's hand, who took it gratefully.

He put it back on slowly, keeping his eyes closed in the process, and gave a small smile to them all.  
"It must seem pretty dumb, huh?" He asked quietly, and Starfire held his hand.  
"Of course not! I think it's rather nice, honestly." She said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.  
"Sorry, dude. I had no idea it was that important... I just thought you wore it to look cool or something." Beast Boy said sheepishly.  
Robin looked at the Changeling, nodding. He was still blushing from the peck.

"I really didn't know. I didn't think it was that important to you." Beast Boy said, looking at his feet.  
"I told you. The mask itself, I don't care much about." Robin replied, giving Beast Boy an assuring smile.  
Beast Boy nodded, and grinned at Robin. Beast Boy grabbed his girlfriends hand, and smiled at her, slightly pointing his finger at Starfire, who was looking at Robin longingly.  
Raven smirked, and nodded. They two left the room hand-in-hand. Cyborg, who saw Beast Boy pointing, gave a small wave, and went after them.  
Starfire gently held Robin's hand, and he smiled at her.

"You're not going to make fun of me?" Robin teased, and she shook her head quickly, and then rested it on his shoulder.  
"No, but I am curious. How do you see everyone else?" She asked, and he smiled at her.  
"The way that they truly are. The way they sometimes don't even know they are." Robin replied.  
Though she was quite inquisitive about the whole thing, she didn't push him.

Robin smiled to himself, to Starfire, and to all of his friends, even if they couldn't see him right now.  
Because he saw them, he saw them a way no one else could. He understood them, he saw past their flaws. Or their imperfections.  
He saw them as faultless heroes, seamless friends, a flawless family.  
And he didn't want it any other way.

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**A/N**

**First Teen Titans one-shot! Hehe. :DThis idea has been sitting in the back of my mind, so yeah...  
But I liked it, and I enjoyed writing it!  
I hope you enjoyed it!  
MagicalNinja  
**


End file.
